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Topic: How to give cash as a gift? (Read 4099 times)

The day before yesterday my husband told me we were invited to a wedding THIS Friday! He's had the invitation on his desk for 4 weeks. bacon-fed knave.

Anyway, usually with weddings I buy a gift and have it sent to the couple a week or two before the big day. Obviously, there is not time for that. And I don't know where they are registered anyway. Kevin asked his coworker (the bride's dad) about gifts and was told that cash would be the best gift, since they are saving for a house. OK, I'm fine with that, except for how to do it... Last time I gave money as a wedding gift was years ago when I still had a checkbook. Like most people I know, I don't use checks anymore and I'm all out of them. Should I just put greenbacks in the card? A money order? What?

I attended an elopement party (an informal party celebrating the marriage, but with a gift opening similar to a shower) years ago with a super cute cash gift.

It was a jar painted with the words "Couple's Name Date Night Jar" filled with cash and then a set of brightly colored index cards. The card explained that the index cards were to write down ideas for date nights to put in the jar, so you could pull one out when you were looking for a night out (along with the money to fund it). The gift giver had filled out a few ideas on cards to get the couple started. The couple (young and just starting out) loved it and still uses it, adding loose change and date ideas and then pulling them out as needed.

When we got married, we received both checks and cash - so I think either option is perfectly fine.

OT: I have two accounts that I can write cheques on. I'm getting low on cheques for both. Ordered them for the one account for $XX. Went to order them for the other account? Almost twice as much! So when I run out of cheques for that account, I will only be writing cheques on the other account.

Logged

After cleaning out my Dad's house, I have this advice: If you haven't used it in a year, throw it out!!!!.

Did he RSVP? I wouldn't go if he didn't RSVP by the date on the invitation.

As for how to give cash, a cashier's check or a visa gift card.

Be careful with any sort of gift card secured by a credit card name. Some of them have ridiculous fees. Look into them if you have time before getting any. I got a Visa gift card from my dad last year for Christmas. $100 card, fee to activate it, fee if you didn't use it X times a month, fee if you used it too much, fee every month for keeping the account open, fee for adding more money to it, fee for money advances off of it.

Cash or a cashier's check are both valid options, especially if you can get the cashier's check for free.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with actual cash in the envelope with the card. Please do try to use bigger bills to make it as few actual pieces of cash (one $50 as opposed to three $10s and four $5s for example) but other then that I'm not sure why you are doubting yourself.

I come from an area/social group/family that considers money to the be the first choice in wedding gifting, its simply what we all do, physical items gifts are just not the norm for us. And cash to check in the card is about 50/50 (as has been for at least 20+ years, so its not a new thing now that people don't use checks as often, people always gave cash as an option.)

Just be sure to hand the card directly to the bride or the groom, or if they have a special box for them, slip it in there. Don't hand it to another family member on their behalf. Just in case.

DH and I got married about a month ago and we got a mix of gifts and cash. The cash came in three forms from different people:

- Visa gift cards- Checks- Actual cash

While we were appreciative of all of it, I would tell you the order of ease of use for us was as follows:

- Checks and cash = easy- Gift cards = pain in the booty

They are very restrictive - hard to pool with other things. We have ended up using the gift cards as iTunes vehicles to add music to our collection because it was too complicated to use them for part of a payment here or there. Wearing them down $1.29 by $1.29 has been the easiest for us. Definitely not a complaint -- we love getting new music - but since the happy couple is saving for a house, something pool-able would probably be better.

I would recommend cash - if you want it to look particularly nice, you might want to go to the bank and get fresh bills so they look clean and new. We got both crumpled and fresh bills and it didn't matter a ton, but I know you're trying to make it feel as special as possible. There was something kind of neat about the crispness of the newer bills.

Yeah, the whole thing has been a bit of a pain in the patoot. I've spent the last 2 lunch hours running around trying to find a dress to wear (none of my party dresses fit any more ), then shoes to match and a necklace and earrings... Had to drop my husband's suit off to be cleaned and pressed, then pick it up. Today I will be getting my nails done at lunch, buying a card, and (if I have time) getting a money order... If I don't have time for the money order, I will just get cash. I like weddings and I'm sure I'll have a lovely time but it all would have been much less stressful if I'd had a little more notice!

Just be sure to hand the card directly to the bride or the groom, or if they have a special box for them, slip it in there. Don't hand it to another family member on their behalf. Just in case.

Does the HC have time to deal with this in the middle of the celebrations? When I brought a card with cash in it, I kept it with me and then ascertained who the trusted gift collector was (MOB was not to be trusted, apparently! so the bit about not to any old relative is TRUE!) and gave it to that person at the end of the reception as they were moving the gifts to the more secure car which would transport them home.